A Pirate And a Swan
by scientificapricot
Summary: Collection of one shots about Killian Jones and Emma Swan.
1. Allies

_Collection of one shots about Killian Jones and Emma Swan. _

_This was my first time writing fic in two years. Trying to get back in the groove, because honestly, I love these two so much, and I have a bunch of ideas filed away for them. Anyway, here's some Enchanted Forest AU. The italics are flashbacks. Killian has both hands. _

_Originally posted on AO3 on 8/25/17._

_I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters._

_-/-_

Emma sighed heavily as she finally let herself relax. She knew this path would by no means be easy, but it was a relief to finally be under way, to be physically moving closer and closer to her goal. The Evil Queen may have taken Henry, but she'd be keeping him over Emma's dead body.

She closed her eyes and slowly inhaled the salty sea air, wincing slightly as the cold wind stung her face. It had only been two days since her son was taken, but it was an eternity to her. She ached to hold him in her arms, his little face pressed against her shoulder (It wouldn't be long before he'd grow too big to hold in such a way. She'd be damned if some vengeful witch took these precious days from her.), to see his bright smile and brighter eyes lighting up at the sight of her, to hear his endless stream of questions and stories (Such an inquisitive one, her boy. His imagination knew no bounds, and neither did his curiosity.). A sudden heat and wetness sprang behind her eyes, and she furiously blinked to hold back the sudden tears, tightening her grip on the ship's railing. Now was not the time to cry. She had been there, done that. It was time for action.

Emma straightened up as she felt eyes on her (again), returning her current situation to the forefront of her mind. She happily embraced the distraction from her melancholy thoughts, which she'd never meant to slip into in the first place. A pirate ship was no place to lose one's focus, especially with the Captain studying her every move.

While Emma did not fear him or his crew, she couldn't help the unease pulsing at the back of her mind. This was his domain, his ship, far different from the tavern where they'd drank and played dice together a couple of times (He'd tried for more, but after one refusal from her, had fallen back to being the perfect gentleman, at least as much of one as a pirate could ever be.). She did not have the option to leave if she wanted. While he'd kept his promises as long as she had known him, a lot more was riding on this than a couple of doubloons.

Her musings were interrupted as the planks creaked slightly with his approaching footsteps.

"So, Swan, care to tell me why you still refuse my help against the Evil Queen? A man wants to know why he's being rejected." He smirked, raising an eyebrow in inquiry while running his tongue over his upper lip. He leaned casually against the railing next to her, just close enough to be invading her personal space. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Your job is to take me there and back," she said brusquely, "that's what we agreed upon."

"Aye, I remember the terms, darling, but you can't blame me for trying. Perhaps it would be easier, though, whatever your task or purpose, if you had a devilishly handsome pirate on your side."

"I don't think your pretty face would be much help, Jones," she said wryly. "Besides, I didn't think you'd want to risk anything ruining it".

"Why, Swan, do you find me attractive?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"It's all you've got going for you." She allowed herself a small smirk at that one. While he spewed innuendos and flirtations like a mad man spewed nonsense, she enjoyed the easy banter they'd established over the past few months. It was a refreshing divergence from the sometimes strict boundaries of palace interactions. "Besides, why do you even care? You've already been promised more than enough compensation for your efforts."

"A pirate is always drawn to adventure, love," he said evasively.

She narrowed her eyes at his not-quite-a-lie. He was very much aware of her superpower, which is why, more often than not, they found themselves playing together in games of dice and cards rather than as opponents. After she had seen through his bluff the first night they met, and won most of his money, he had learned to watch his words with her. Which was why this not-lie sparked annoyance. "If you think you're gonna interfere for a chance at more money, save your energy. There's nothing in it for you."

"That is not my aim," he lowered his voice, "_your highness_. I seem to remember agreeing to help you before we discussed a reward. And even if that was my goal, I do believe there _would_ be more money. Aiding a princess if often rewarded handsomely."

Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. He wasn't wrong, but... "You're forgetting something Jones. In the eyes of the law, you are kidnapping me, not helping me."

* * *

_"You want me to what?!"_

"_Shut up, I don't want anyone else to know about this. I will pay you, and I promise, I wouldn't let you be prosecuted for it. Once I explain everything after we return, they'll understand."_

_"And why can't the explaining happen now? I thought you said your parents trusted you."_

_"They do, it's just..."_

_"Darling, I'm not about to risk my crew's necks- nor mine, for that matter-"_

_"Regina took my son, Killian! That's where I want you to take me. I need to get him back, but my parents would never let me go alone if they knew I was trying. They're talking about summoning the army, strength in numbers, but I will not wait that long!" Her whisper-shout seemed to echo down the dimly lit alley. Killian's face changed in an instant, his blossoming anger dissipating into shock and concern. _

_"She has your boy?" he said lowly, brows drawing together. _

_"Yes, and if you won't-"_

_"Say no more, Swan, we set out at first light."_

_She blinked through the burgeoning tears of frustration. "Wait- Just like that?"_

_"Aye, love," he said evenly. "It's your boy. I know what he means to you. And no _ _child should have to bear the company of that evil woman." One hand rubbed her arm, while the other wiped away an escaped tear. She felt her skin tingle where he touched her. He lowered his gaze so she was forced to look into his eyes, bright blue even in the dim light of night. "I promise you, Emma," he said slowly, "I will get you there, and we will retrieve your son."_

_She took a step back, regaining some of her regal posture. "No one but me is going into her castle. It's too dangerous."_

_He sighed dramatically, raising his eyes skyward. "Fine, your highness," he said with much exaggeration. "Now is there anything else I should know before I gather the crew?"_

_Emma groaned internally. She knew he hadn't dropped the subject just yet. "Tell them where we're going, but not why, or my identity. I want to remain 'just Swan' as long as possible so word doesn't reach my parents."_

_"Alright, although they are going to figure it out at some point. Half of them already suspect you aren't who you say you are."_

_"As long as it's not before we leave shore," she said firmly. "Shall I meet you on your ship then?"_

_"Aye, in three hours. She's second to last at the dock, nearest to the woods."_

_"Good," she said, and promptly turned to leave the alley._

_"Bloody stubborn woman," he muttered, shaking his head. As he followed, the torchlight revealed a small smile on his face._

* * *

He ignored her attempt at diverting the subject, and took a step closer. "Emma, why can't you admit that having an ally in this battle- and you can't deny it, this will be a battle- would be to your benefit? You may not have had the opportunity to see for yourself, but I'm very good in a fight. I want to help you."

Something in his voice stopped her next refusal from leaving her tongue. He sounded... sincere. Like he actually cared. Part of her, the part she often forced down, fluttered slightly at this show of loyalty. The other part, the part that stopped her from- How did he say it?- 'accompanying him to his ship for a nightcap' in the first place, waved a red flag. _Too much! Trust 'em like that and they're free to drop you like a sack of flour as soon as they're through. _But... just because it happened once... no, she couldn't risk it.

"Emma," he whispered. His eyes bore into hers, imploring her to allow him this.

Looking at him in that moment, she knew she couldn't refuse him. Not because all of his flirting and intense gazing had won her over, but because of Henry. She couldn't turn down an offer of help, especially from a (she admitted it grudgingly) very valuable ally. She knew Jones would not betray her trust, at least not in that sense. _But that's as close as he gets,_ she told herself sternly. _You learned your lesson before._ _Even if he does have those stupid big blue eyes._

"Perhaps... it wouldn't hurt to have backup," she said slowly. His eyes lit up in triumph. "But we do it my way, on my terms. No going all rogue pirate on me, got it?"

"Aye, milady. Although if you ever find yourself in need of a rogue pirate, all you have to do is ask."

She felt her defenses sag in relief. His insufferable innuendos were much easier to handle than the startling sincerity he had shown minutes ago. She was beginning to realize how she felt about it, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Not to worry, love," he said as he straightened up, "We'll have your boy back safe and sound. We already know we make quite the team." He winked at her as he backed away.

She smiled reluctantly. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, having an ally.

-/-

_Thank you for reading! Comments are greatly appreciated! :)_


	2. Through the chill & the wind & the rain

**Even though he's come far since the whole Dark Ones fiasco, Killian still gets quiet and withdrawn as the date approaches.**

_I've been listening to Holding Out For a Hero quite a bit this past week, and this crept into my head. Post 6B. A couple of months after the finale. Canon-compliant, I suppose._

_Originally posted on AO3 on 2/11/18._

_I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters, and I do not own the lyrics to the songs Holding Out For a Hero or At Last. _

_-/-_

Since the defeat of the Black Fairy, things had been relatively calm in Storybrooke. Aside from the occasional magical nuisance, life was as normal as it could ever be when your mother had magic and your stepfather was a pirate. Henry liked normal. It had become weekend sailing trips on the Jolly, family movie nights with popcorn and Milk Duds, homework help on school nights, and impromptu three-way sparring matches to decide who would wash the dishes.

Normal meant that, right about now, Killian would be arriving home from his Tuesday evening shift at the station, lining up Emma and Henry's haphazardly kicked shoes at the entryway as he toed out of his own. However, the minutes ticked on, and when no punctual pirate appeared, worry crawled up Henry's spine. It was definitely unlike Killian to be late, especially on one of their eat-in nights. He and Emma had been learning to cook together, and after a few minor disasters, had become pretty good at it. Henry, thrilled to eat something other than Granny's food (not that he'd ever let her find out) and to get free cooking lessons himself, had no complaints about it (except for the kissing; you'd think that the novelty of being married would have worn off by now). Emma or Henry's iPod would be docked at the small speaker next to the fridge, and they'd rotate who picked the music while they cooked. It was nice bonding time, as cheesy as it sounded, important to all three of them. Killian never failed to arrive in time to help start dinner.

Henry also found it odd that his mom wasn't antsy with worry at the absence of their resident pirate. Usually she'd be rubbing her wedding ring, brows drawn together, staring off into space. But when he craned his neck from his place on the couch to peer into the kitchen, Henry saw her chopping vegetables for a stir fry, humming along to Christina Perri, seemingly at ease. He walked into the kitchen, turning down the volume. Emma shot him a curious look. "What's up, kid?"

"Aren't you a little worried that Killian is late tonight?" He tries not to sound accusatory, but seeing her act so relaxed when her husband was potentially in danger was unsettling.

Her hand came up to slap her forehead. "Oh, god, I'm so sorry Henry, I forgot to tell you, your grandmother stopped by right after and I got distracted. Killian called a little earlier to let us know that he was heading to the Jolly for a bit after his shift. He'll be home to eat with us in about a half hour." She gave him an apologetic look, squeezing his arm lightly as the tension drained out of him.

"Did he need help with anything?" Normally when the Jolly needed repairs and such, Killian invited Henry along.

"Not that he mentioned, he just said he needs to be by the water for a bit," she replied, scraping the chopped peppers and onion into the frying pan.

Henry ran the water to wash mushrooms. "Is he okay? It's not really like him to miss cooking."

Emma gave him a reassuring, if slightly sad smile. "He'll be okay. It's just... tomorrow marks the day that he- well that he found out he was the Dark One, and when he slipped back into "evil villain" mode for a while. He still has trouble forgiving himself for that kind of stuff, and its been on his mind. I think he just wanted some time by the sea with his thoughts. It's comforting for him."

Henry nodded, listening to the sizzle of the vegetables mix with the quiet notes of the music. He knew what tomorrow was; it would be a while before any of them forgot those dark times. He hadn't wanted to bring it up, figuring that his mom and step-dad would say something if they needed to. But now, he wondered if he should have checked on them, made sure they weren't still drowning in guilt. Therapy sessions had greatly improved their ability to deal with this sort of thing, but a lifetime (or several) of self-doubt wasn't erased so easily. "Are _you_ okay, Mom?"

She turned to him, a warm smile on her face, setting down the spoon she'd been using to pull him into a one-armed hug. "Yeah, I'm good kid. I talked things through with Archie yesterday, and I feel good. Not great, but good." She pulled away, taking an opportunity to reach up and ruffle his hair (he'd just recently passed her in height). "Killian's demons are different than mine. We've learnt to deal with them in different ways. Thanks for asking, though. I promise, I'm alright."

Henry stared at her a moment longer, and upon seeing no hesitance or denial in her gaze, nodded again. With a flick of her finger, the music returned to its previous volume, and they focused their attention on dinner.

Half an hour later, Killian walked through the door, smiling in greeting, even if it was subdued. Dark circles under his eyes spoke of little sleep the night before, but he still neatly lined up their shoes under the coat rack, teasingly mumbling something that sounded like _"bloody uncivilized". _Even his voice held a note of solemness not normally present. After a bit, they sat down to eat. Henry noticed that Killian was quieter than usual during the meal, though he listened attentively as ever to the description of the guest speaker they'd had in his astronomy class that day.

"Oh, and my teacher said that she'll give us extra credit if we make a hand-drawn, labelled star map that has at least five constellations on it." Turning to Killian, he asked, "Do you think you could help me with that? I bet you could make a good one, with being a navigator and everything."

Killian smiled, and this time, it seemed a bit brighter. "Of course, lad. We'll take the Jolly out this weekend. The stars are never quite as clear here in town as they are on the open sea." His eyebrow rose, a mischief overtaking his features. "Is Allison completing the same assignment? Perhaps you should invite her along."

"Yeah, that'd be nice. A romantic, moonlight sail. Great way to win a girl's heart," Emma shot over her shoulder as she took dishes to the sink, winking at Killian as she did so.

"Ugh, you guys are worse now than when Violet and I were dating," Henry lamented, hiding his face in his arms. _Mention that you maybe like a girl once, and suddenly your parents are matchmakers._

Killian backed down, his inner turmoil no doubt rekindled with the mention of Henry's Camelot ex-girlfriend. He shrugged. "The offer stands; she'd be welcome to come on the ship."

Henry sighed dramatically. "I'll consider it." Changing the subject, he turned to his mom. "Need any help with clean-up?"

It was Killian who answered. "I've got this lad. Go finish up that trigonometry assignment I know you've been putting off." He waved Henry up the stairs, picking up a dish rag. Henry retreated, the sounds of Emma's protest floating up after him.

"I don't mind cleaning up. Go relax, I'll be there in a bit."

"Swan, you made the bloody meal. Let me take care of this for you."

There was a pause, in which they were no doubt kissing or whatever grossly romantic couples do.

"Alright, but at least let me keep you company."

"As you wish."

"Eighties playlist?

"Sounds good, love." Killian definitely still sounded distracted and tired, but at least he had enough energy to argue with Emma about such things.

A little later, Henry had to come back downstairs for his computer (he really needed to get a graphing calculator). Emma sat at the kitchen table, looking over some bills, while Killian finished up at the sink, his brows furrowed, shoulders curved inwards, eyes dark and far away. Emma glanced up, cocking her head to catch the song that was playing. Henry saw her eyes travel to Killian's brooding face, and a soft look overtook her own. She rose quietly. Killian was too lost in thought to notice. With a slow twirl of her finger, the music rose, until Henry could hear the lyrics, and past that, until Killian finally broke out of his reverie and turned to see what Emma was doing. Henry recognized the tune just as the lyrics started.

_Where have all the good men gone_  
_And where are all the gods?_

With the fast paced music filling the lower level of the house, Emma wrapped her hand around Killian's hook with a loving grin, pulling him away from the sink. She started to move to the music, and from his vantage point in the living room (where he could see them but they couldn't see him) Henry saw, rather than heard her, sing along.

_Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?_  
_Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?_  
_Late at night I toss and I turn_  
_And I dream of what I need..._

A playful look overtook Killian's face as well, washing away the previous torment.

_I need a hero _  
_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night_  
_He's gotta be strong_  
_And he's gotta be fast_  
_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight._

Emma raised his hook above her head, spinning under it and dramatically into his arms. Killian caught her, ridiculously large smiles gracing both of their faces as they danced together. He still had soap suds on his forearms, and her hair was a wild mess from being tossed around.

_I need a hero_  
_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light_  
_He's gotta be sure_  
_And it's gotta be soon_  
_And he's gotta be larger than life_  
_Larger than life!_

_They're ridiculous_, Henry thought again, smiling at the sight of the two of them caught in an odd-cross over between modern dancing and a fairytale waltz, jumping around, spinning and dipping each other, laughing freely. Neither of them noticed Henry creep back upstairs, their eyes shining with love and childlike joy.

Several minutes later, after realizing that he never actually got his computer, Henry headed back down, and was greeted with the sight of his mom and Killian slowly dancing in a circle, wrapped in each other's arms. Killian's face was hidden in the crook of Emma's neck, her hands rubbing his back and holding his head in place, his hook wrapped tightly around her waist. The music was quieter now, and the song had changed. Henry tiptoed into the living room and back up the stairs as Cyndi Lauper's voice rose from the speaker.

_At last my love has come along_  
_My lonely days are over and life is like a song, oh yeah_  
_At last the skies above are blue_  
_My heart was wrapped up clover the night I looked at you_  
_I found a dream that I could speak to_  
_A dream that I can call my own_  
_I found a thrill to press my cheek to_  
_A thrill I've never known, oh yeah_  
_You smiled, you smiled oh and then the spell was cast_  
_And here we are in Heaven_  
_For you are mine at last._

Yeah, they were good. Despite the demons that plagued them, they were still good.

-/-

_Hope you liked it! This took me a ridiculously long time to write, but I was determined to finish it before I went to bed. _

_I know that At Last was originally done by Etta James, but I'm partial to Cyndi Lauper's version. Also used Holding Out For a Hero by Bonnie Tyler (title comes from it). Definitely would recommend listening to the songs!_

_Please let me know what you think! Gives me extra motivation to keep writing. :)_


End file.
